How on Earth Do I Pitch to an Agent?

Yes, trying to land an agent is difficult. Yes, you will face rejection after rejection. That doesn't always reflect the quality of your writing—the publishing world is an environment filled with millions of people who love to write, or at least aspire to be authors, and agents are faced with an overwhelming number of manuscripts to consider. There are things you can do to increase your chances, though, so read on for my humble advice. 

1. More than one draft!

Before any fiction pitch, your manuscript has to be absolutely solid. I ask authors how many drafts of their manuscript they’ve written, and often the answer is “one.” This usually doesn’t cut it, unless each chapter, each paragraph has been revised carefully throughout the process, to a point where the story has taken multiple potential directions. Hone in on what to improve. Tighten where you can tighten and expand where you can expand. Trust me, I hate how that sounds too, but you can best understand this sentiment by allowing others (who preferably know a thing or two about writing) to read it and let you know what they’re thinking. More than one draft signals that you have fleshed out your message, plot, and characters, and sounds good to someone who asks. NOTE: nonfiction authors are usually fine to send a chapter or two, not the entire thing. The lucky ones, am I right?

2. Write a stellar, concise pitch

An exemplary fiction pitch should be just a few sentences clearly outlining the main character, inciting incident, and where it’s set. Your nonfiction title should ‘answer a question.’ If the manuscript is about explorers of the Amazon, it answers the question, What did they discover, and why were their discoveries important? The underlying purpose of this is pitching why your title is fresh, unique, and giving light to something that isn’t already on the shelves.

In regards to both fiction and nonfiction, include “comp titles,” short for comparative titles, that will give the literary agent an idea of what your book is similar to. For example, if I were to write a book about a poor female protagonist having to survive in a future dystopian society, I might point to The Hunger Games series as a comp title. Another thing to consider for both fiction and nonfiction is the publicity standpoint. Do you have a social media following? A blog? Connections? Tell them about an audience you have that you’ve built for a long time to prepare for this.

3. Know the agent

Agency websites list their agents along with each of their specialties and tastes. Do NOT randomly send out your manuscript to just anyone; pay careful attention to who has published something similar, and who might take interest in yours based on what endeavors they’ve taken on. They have preferences, too. Writing a nonfiction book about the best way to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse? Don’t pitch to the agent who has solely represented presidential biographies. That sounds like common sense but is vital to keep in mind. Quality over quantity.

In conclusion . . .

All of this to say, if you don’t want an agent, no one is forcing you to get one! There are many publishers out there who accept unagented submissions, like the independent Dzanc Books based in Michigan, but there are other factors to consider in the submission process; some do not accept genre fiction (sci-fi, romance, mystery), for example. We'll get into submission requirements soon.

Keep an eye out for more author-oriented posts in the future! I’m excited to share the bit of knowledge I have, but most of all, learn from my readers and people willing to join me on the Cardinal Flower journey. 

My best,

Claire